


Always Watching

by orphan_account



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Angst with a Happy Ending, Badass Dipper Pines, Badass Grunkles, Badass Mabel Pines, Badass Shack Crew in general, Bill is an ass, Bill's a jerk, Creepy Bill, Dark!Dipper, F/M, Ford never met Dipper, Human!Bill, I'm Sorry, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, Mad scientist Fiddleford, Much AU, Multi, Not happy at first, Poor Dipper, Post-Apocalypse, Stockholm Syndrome, Wendy is BAMF, family reunions suck, implied billdip, never not badass Grunkles, sorta - Freeform, their parents died
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-05
Updated: 2015-10-23
Packaged: 2018-04-19 01:42:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4728044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bill Cipher is a name known by all and feared by many. He brought about the end of modern civilization and rules what's left with an iron fist. Only a few pockets of resistance remain to oppose His demonic forces. </p><p>The Pines Family is known for many things, self preservation is not one of them. Stanford Pines lives in guilt of his construction of the portal that aided Bill Cipher's rise to power. Mabel Pines has fought tooth and nail to find her brother. Stanley Pines just wants his family back together. The three of them have become a thorn in Bill's side over the past 8 years. Now they're on the run from His most loyal assassin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Pines discuss their options and Soos has a brush with Death.

_" Grunkle Stan... I trust you."_

 

             Mabel shot out of her cot, grasping the sheets like they were a lifeline. Her hair clung to her in clumps. It had been weeks since she last had a chance to wash it. Mabel's eyes roved over the room. All around her companions slept on, undisturbed by her awakening. Grunkle Stan was fast asleep near the door, gun firmly grasped in his hands. Mabel sighed with relief as she noted everyone was still in their beds. Except...

             She walked across the room to the door, careful not to disturb her sleeping comrades. On the other side of the door she could hear the sounds of a very exhausted researcher. Mabel knocked on the door lightly. "Great uncle Ford?" the shuffling sounds stopped and were replaced by creaking floorboards. The door creaked open to reveal a haggard old man with cracked glasses.

             "Mabel, What are you doing up?" He adjusted his glasses and glanced at his watch. "It's three in the morning, you need to sleep."

             "I had a nightmare about the portal." She twisted the ends of her worn out sweater. "What are you doing up? Science-y stuff?"

             Great Uncle Ford opened the door for her. "I'm attempting to pin down the species of our opponent. Records of his appearance are few and far between." He gestured to a board covered in articles and blurry photos. A few hand written notes were pinned up as well but most seemed to be scribbled out. "He's never shown his face and he rarely appears in public, it's like he's a ghost."

             Mabel plopped down in a swivel  chair and beamed at her great uncle. "Maybe I can help! You know, fresh eyes!" She hoped that her smile was convincing enough.

             Ford smiled at his niece. "Alright, Though I should warn you it's pretty complicated stuff." He sunk into his own chair and slipped into lecture mode. "Records show that salt wards don't stop him and the survivors can never give a clear description of him. I was thinking Shapeshifter but there aren’t too many of those left. And a Shapeshifter wouldn’t put so much effort into creating a consistent persona.”

             Mabel scrunched up her face in confusion. “Okay so it’s not a demon and might not be a Shapeshifter. It’s too humanlike to be a Manator, too coordinated to be a troll, too fast to be gnomes.” She beamed and snapped her fingers. “Vampire.”

             "Mabel," Ford rubbed his eyes. "Not everything is vampires."

             She crossed her arms. "That's what you said last time."

             Ford winced at the memory. "That's different."

             Mabel stuck her tongue out at him. "You're just mad I figured it out first. You really should get some sleep Great Uncle Ford, I think it's starting to catch up with you." She patted his head.

             His argument was interrupted by a scream. It took them a moment to process the noise but once they did Ford had his gun in hand and knocked open the door. Mabel rushed out behind him, muscles coiled and ready for a fight.

             The room was in chaos, bedding had been tossed aside in an effort to escape, a few people were too tangled in their blankets to escape. Mabel gasped at the sight of several civilians lying in their beds with their throat slashed. Soos was armed with his trusty shovel and was engaging in combat with the mysterious assailant. "Soos!" Mabel tried to rush forward but was stopped by Grunkle Stan. Ford fired at the Assailant but it was too dark to get a clear shot.

              Soos flashed Mabel a grin. "I got this Hambone, this guy ain't so tough." He brought the shovel down on the assailants head. A feral growl emerged from their throat. "Uh-oh." The assailant ripped the shovel out of Soos's hands and stabbed the blade at his gut. "Whoa dude," Soos fell back and the assailant readied his knife.

              Wendy charged the assailant with her ax. "Don't mess with the Pines!" the assailant dodged the ax with ease and kicked her back a few feet, causing her to collapse onto some bloodied cots.

              "Stay out out of this, Corduroy." they hissed. "I don't want to hurt you more than I have to."

              Ford reloaded and took aim again. "Your quarrel is with me not them."

              The assailant lingered for a bit before looking at him with glowing gold eyes. "Long time no see, Sixer. I was wondering how long it would take to get your attention." He twirled the shovel in one hand and placed a booted foot on Soos' chest. "I guess you have a soft spot for overgrown Man Babies, Eh Goldfish?"

              Grunkle Stan raised his shotgun. "I'm gonna blow his brains out."

              'Bill' laughed. "Pine Tree beat you to the punch."

              "I really don't need that image in my head." Mabel gagged.

              "Back to business," 'Bill' tossed the shovel back and forth between his hands. "Hand over the Rift and I let your 'family' live. Even Red." He pointed the shovel at Wendy who responded with a lewd hand gesture.

              "I don't have it." Ford snapped.

              'Bill' Tsk'ed his tongue. "Not what I want to hear, Sixer." He stabbed the floor next to Soos' head and Mabel screamed. "Try again."

               Ford stepped forward. "Bill, I'm telling you I don't have it. If I had it do you really think I'd be risking my nephew's _life_ over it?"

               "Well" 'Bill' tapped his chin. "You  _did_ risk the safety of the entire universe just to know the secrets of creation. Oh, lets not forget that you risked the mental health of your former lover for your life's work. So I don't know, Sixer," He raised the shovel and pointed it down at Soos's head. "Would you?"

               Mabel looked between Ford and 'Bill'. Ford was tense, eyes narrowed and angry. His finger slid off the trigger and he lowered his arms in defeat. 'Bill' made a pleased hum and relaxed.

               Ford cleared his throat."Let's make a deal, Bill." 

               "Hmm, I don't know... I'd much rather just kill Question Mark." He stabbed the floor next to Soos's head again, laughing at their reactions. "Look at your faces! Priceless!"

               "Bill, I swear on my life that we don't have the Rift. We can find it for you, if you leave us be." Ford looked far to stressed about this. Mabel squeezed his shoulder in an attempt to soothe his nerves.

               'Bill' paused before tossing the shovel to the side. "Alright, you have three weeks to bring me the Rift or my associate kills your whole crew." He snapped his fingers, lighting his hand in blue fire. Ford marched forward and grasped his hand. "We have a Deal."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First Fanfic for Gravity Falls, tell me what you think. Self improvement is more important than my Ego.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off I'd like to say Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy writing it. Second I recently got a job so updates will be a bit sporadic for a while. Thirdly I don't ship BillXDipper, it just sort of happened to be what was needed here.

_Dipper bit and scratched at the dapper demon. Like hell he'd let him just whisk him off to god knows where._   _Mabel hugged Stan's leg and cowered. Soos was still unconsious and the Government Agents  were about to break down the door._   _Bill tightened his grip on Dipper's wrists and cackled. "Well, Well, Well, Pine Tree, looks like I got my puppet after all."_

_Grunkle Stan rose to his feet and glared at Bill with a fury that terrified Dipper. "Get your stinkin' hands off my Grand Nephew!"_

_The man who had emerged from the portal swung the gun off his shoulder and took aim. "Careful there, Sixer. I'm carrying precious cargo here." Bill dropped Dipper before catching him again by the back of his vest. "I might drop him. You meatbags are awfully easy to break." Dipper screamed curses at Bill._

_The man lowered the gun and removed the goggles and scarf._   _"Let him go, He's just a kid." said the man who looked far too much like Grunkle Stan. The Author of the Journals. His Idol._

 

           Dipper shoved open the door to the abandoned apartment complex with one shoulder. Stanford had managed to get a lucky shot. He was just lucky Bill had possessed him when he did. Otherwise he would've passed out from blood-loss or worse. Dipper began to curse himself for setting up base so far from the Pines. He balanced again the wall, pressing down on his wound. He groaned in pain at the action.

          "Aw Pine Tree, you know you're only allowed to make those sounds for me." He felt a clawed hand press down on the wound. A sharp pain shot through it and the bleeding stopped. Dipper opened his eyes and saw a well dressed blond man tower over him.

          "Bill." He wheezed. Bill purred and pulled away the scarf that covered his face.

          "I'm still mad at you." Soft, sweet lips pressed against his own. Bill smiled and stroked Dippers face. Some of his blood was still on Bill's hand but he didn't mind. "You failed me tonight. Instead of a room full of Dead Pines I have a group of very angry and protective ones." Bill gripped Dipper's head, claws sinking into his face and neck.

          "I'm sorry, Master." Dipper whimpered at his tone.

         Bill cooed and relaxed his grip. "You can make it up to me. By keeping an eye on the Pines for me." He pressed a kiss to Dipper's birthmark. 

         "Yes Master,"

         " _Good Boy."_

* * *

          Wendy scowled as they loaded the dead into the bus. Mabel was writing their names on slips of paper and slipping them into their hands. The pair was mostly silent except for the scratching of a pen on paper. It stayed like that until Mabel broke down in tears over one of the dead. Wendy froze in surprise and wrapped an arm over Mabel's shoulders. "Hey, Dude, it'll be okay."

          Mabel choked back a sob. "I-I didn't know his name, I don't know i-if he has a ff-family or-"

          Wendy pulled her closer and shushed her. "It's fine, We'll just put him down as a John Doe."

          Mabel swung around, a panicked look in her eyes. "I CAN'T DO THAT!!" She squawked. "His family might be wondering what happened to him, a-and they'll never know... never know what happened." The last part was whispered.

          "It's not about him is it." Wendy sighed. 

          Mabel grabbed Wendy by the shoulders and shook her. Her eyes were wild and her hair was a mess. "It's been eight years, Wendy! We don't even know if Bill still has him or if he gave him a even eviler demon or if he trapped his soul inside a mirror or-"

          "Hey!" Wendy snapped. "We'll keep looking any because we're Pines and we don't leave anyone behind! We won't stop until we stop Bill and get him Back! Okay?" She wiped away Mabel's tears with the sleeve of her jacket. Mabel sniffed and nodded, shoulders slumped. "Next time I see Bill I'm gonna stick this ax in his stupid Illuminati face."

          "You called, Ice Queen?"

          Wendy whipped out her ax and threw it with expert precision. The ax lodged right in the chest of a well dressed olive skinned man. He easily stood seven feet tall and had limbs that seemed far too long for his body. His single blue eye glanced down at the mortal wound and he sighed. "Really? This was my favorite suit. Down, Boy." He grabbed the arm of the assassin, who looked ready to tear Wendy's head off.

         Mabel stood and squeezed Wendy's shoulder. Around them the survivor's of last nights attack were backing away with the exception of Ford and Soos. Ford stormed forward, face twisted with anger. "What are you doing here, Bill?"

         Bill ginned, showing off a mouthful of shark-like teeth. "It's nothing personal, Sixer, I just need someone keeping an **eye on you.** " His form glowed red for a moment. "You won't even notice he's there."

         "You really think I'm letting that monster anywhere near my family?" Ford growled.

         Bill's grin widened and Wendy noticed the assassin next to him tense. "Well IQ, I don't remember giving you a choice." 

         Wendy strode up and pulled the ax out of his chest. "Say the Word, Stan."

         "No, We had a deal and we're sticking to it." Stan approached and pulled Wendy back. He met Bill's gaze and huffed. "Pines don't back down. He'll ride with me and Mabel." He snapped his gaze at the man clad in black. "Get in the truck, Spook." Stan stomped off, the man in black trailing behind.

         Bill clapped his hands together. "Wonderful," He chirped. "Glad that's taken care of. Remember Sixer, the clocks ticking." He disappeared in a ball of flame.

         Wendy scowled and slipped her ax back into its holster. "This is gonna be a long trip."


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mabel conducts an interrogation, Ford makes plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for your kudos! and the bookmarks, and the comments. I just don't know what to say. I had no Idea that this wold get this many readers. This chapter's a bit late, sorry!

_Mabel screamed as Demons closed in on the Shack. A large portion were fleying or running away from town but a group of large and very threatening creatures remained in town. The creatures were spilling out of the hole in the sky, Grunkle Ford called it the Rift. He also said Bill was behind it. Bill, in all her years of life she never claimed to truly hate anyone until Bill. He'd destroyed everything and tore away her other half, her brobro.  She'd destroy Bill Cipher, but first..._ _Mabel grabbed Stan's eight-ball staff off the ground and weighed it in her hands. It felt right._

_She charged at the monster that had smashed open the door to the gift shop._ _"I AM THE GOD OF DESTRUCTION!!!!" The bat made a sickening crunch as it met the creature's skull. It wasn't enough. She brought the bat down again and again, until it stopped moving. "PINES,"_   SMACK. _"PINES,"_ CRUNCH. _"PINES"_ SMACK _._ _Grunkle Stan grabbed her and dragged her out to the car. "I'll end you!"_

_"We can't stay here kid!" He buckled his seat belt and leaned on the horn. A few monsters turned their heads towards the sound. The larger ones charged the El Diablo. Stan searched under his seat while Mabel attempted to remove her seatbelt. "MOVE IT, POINDEXTER!" A monster dented the hood of the Stanleymobile. "SON OF A-" He pulled a shot gun out from under his seat and shot the creature, causing it to screech and back away. "Violence is wrong, sweetie."_

_"LIKE HELL IT IS. DIE DIE DIE." She waved the bat at the monsters out-side the Stanmobile who were starting to back away in fear. "DON'T MESS WITH THE PINES!"_

_"Mabel, I'm so proud of you." He started up the car. "When we get to your parents you learned that from Ford."_

_"'kay"  She stared out the window watching as the creatures began tearing apart the shack._

_Grunkle Ford jumped into the back seat. "I got supplies, drive Stanley."  Stan slammed his feet on the gas._

 

            Mabel was a curious person by nature. It was that Pines blood in her veins. Mostly her curiosity was focused around people. She normally weighed the pros and cons of satisfying that curiosity but there were a few people that sort of called for her attention. Like the mysterious man in black. He was silent and had plugged his ears the moment Grunkle Stan had turned on the radio, which was weird because who didn't like music. She opened her 'third eye' and tried to catch a glimpse of his aura. 

            "Mabel, try not to fall in love with this one." Grunkle Stan said, keeping his eyes on the road in front of them. His aura was familiar and slightly shady. She couldn't really compare it to anything other than the man himself.

            She stuck out her tongue. "I don't just fall in love with anyone."

            "Gabe." His lips twisted upwards and a flicker of happiness bubbled up in his aura. "Or Tom."

            Her 'third eye' snapped closed because of her lack of focus. "Grunkle Stan!"

             "And you had that fling with Robbie, who I still don't approve of by the way. What was that one kid with the piercings?"

             She huffed. "That's not even remotely the same. I don't date bloodthirsty maniacs."

             "Dante."

             "He was a perfect gentleman!! He just had peculiar eating habits." She blushed and leaned back in her seat. It wasn't her fault he tried to eat Grunkle Ford's heart. "I was just going to get a good _look_ at him."  She turned in her seat and saw him eye her from under his hood. He sat straight-backed and tense, watching their interaction with facination. Like he'd never seen two people chat and have fun. His aura was withdrawn and pale gray. Hesitant and afraid. "I'm Mabel. I didn't catch your name."

             His eyes flicked away. "My name is not important."

             Mabel scrunched up her nose and blew a raspberry. "Pffth. Well, what are supposed to call you? 'Mr. Mystery'?" Grunkle Stan glared at her.

             "You may call me Tyrone." The man responded. Mabel noticed his aura relax a bit and gain a bit of color.

             Mabel beamed. "Do you have any family, Tyrone?"

             "No." She saw his aura immediately darken and collapse. "They are all dead."

             She frowned, this was going to be harder than she thought. "Oh, I'm sorry. Um... can I ask..."

             "No, you may not." He hissed. "That is not something I wish to speak about." His voice was cold and sharp. 

             Mabel scrunched up her nose. His aura shifted to... guilt? Sadness? Fear? They all seemed to mingle inside in an unhealthy cocktail of negative emotion. She'd seen that before but usually people were more responsive. "How long have you worked for Bill?"

             Fear, mistrust. "I have worked for Master Cipher for six years. He taught me many things." Lies.

             "You are human, right?"

             Tyrone's eyes crinkled under the hood, his aura briefly flaring with amusement. "What do you think I am?"

             "Well I was thinking Vampire but Grunkle Ford said you might be a Shapeshifter." She noticed an bit of mirth bubble up and get squished back down. She never saw anyone repress their emotions like that, it was almost like he was actively trying to

             "I had my money on golem, can't go wrong with Soulless affront to god." Grunkle Stan glanced back via the rear view mirror. "No offense."

             Tyrone made a weird choking sound as amusement flickered across his aura again. Mabel narrowed her eyes. Was he laughing? What kind of life did he live that his laugh was that neglected? "None taken." He coughed out. "I am Human. You were way off."

             "Then why are you wearing so many clothes? I mean, it's like a gazillion degrees out and you've gotta be a little uncomfortable."

             Tyrone made another dry choking sound. "I do not wear this for comfort, I like the style more than anything."

_Victory!_ Mabel thought as she turned fully in her seat. 

* * *

              Ford eyed the map in front of him with confusion. The locator spell spell he'd used just went haywire and was showing the Rift in six places at once. One of them being right in the center of Cipher's Castle, even with their deal he doubted that he'd just let the group stroll in and take a look around. Not in a million years. He tapped a pen against the map. Maybe they should start by leaving the civilians with Fiddleford, they'd be safe there. 

              Fiddleford.

              The scientist wasn't sure how long he'd spent thinking about his old research partner. Or more specifically the accident that had led to said partner's insanity. He was too distracted to notice that Soos had walked up to him and set down his lunch. "Mr. Pines?"

              Ford Jumped, his glasses slipping down his face. "Soos? I told you to stop calling me that." He looked at the food. "Lunch already?"

              "Uh yeah, Wendy's refueling and Stan said he needed to talk to you." He held out the bowl. "'Sides, you've been wasting away back here, you could use the fresh air."

              He chuckled lightly. "When did you get so wise?" 

              "My wisdom is both a blessing... and a curse." he lowered his head solemnly.

              "SOOS! I NEED YOU TO CARRY SOME SUPPLIES ONTO THE BUS." Wendy cried from her place outside.

              Soos adjusted his tattered Mystery Shack cap and saluted Ford. "I am needed elsewhere." He lumbered off. Ford set the food down next to his maps. He would come back to it later. He followed Soos off the bus. The larger man immediately approached Wendy why pointed him towards a group of Rebels who were carrying boxes of canned goods out.

              A calloused fist met Ford's shoulder. "Bout time you got here Poindexter, I was starting to get worried."

              Ford huffed, blowing his bangs out of his face. "I was trying to map our course."

              Stan grinned, the same grin he used to talk rubes out of their wallets or guards out of their loyalty. "Does that route include a certain prospecting mad scientist?" Ford blushed. "Hah! Look at you, all love sick." Stan's grin fades when he notices the look on Ford's face. "Are you gonna go back to feelin' sorry for yourself? Do you need me to knock the sense back into you?"

              "I'm fine, Stanley." he grunted.

              "Like hell you are, when's the last time you actually took a nap?" Stan prodded his brother's cheeks. "You look you had a run in with a very persistent succubus. 'Sides, you need your beauty sleep if you wanna keep up with me."

              Ford grinned and shoved him. "Haha, Stanley. We should focus on the real issues. Did Mabel get anything out of Bill's assassin?"

              His twin rubbed the stubble that was beginning to run wild on his cheeks. "The kids name is Tyrone. He talks funny, like he's scared of sayin' the wrong thing, waits for others to speak up first. He's human and has a funky laugh." Stan crossed his arms. "Kids seen shit Ford, he's hiding something under that trench-coat of his."

              "Weapons probably."

             That was met with a fierce glare. "That's not what I meant, Ford." 

             "I know, and I'm ignoring your intent." Ford pulled a note book and pen out of his coat pocket. He began to write down some theories. "Any one that loyal to Bill is a threat to us and our operation. We can't have him learning our plans."

             Stan slid his hands into his jacket pockets. "Fine, I'll try to keep him away from Mabel, she's the most likely to start spilling her guts. But you better know what you're doing, I don't wanna lose anymore family." He paused for a bit. "And you should talk to Fidds, you're gonna drive yourself into an early grave with this silent treatment you've condemned yourself to." He stormed off to yell at some children who were roughhousing. 

             Ford smiled to himself. _Maybe that idiot has some brains after all._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to just say that I eventually plan to write a Flash back chapter to clear up what's going on a little more. If you don't like flash backs then I'll give you a heads up by mentioning it in the Title.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Tyrone' keeps his distance and Wendy is suckered into a romantic subplot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgive me for what I have done to this poor child. And the others too but mostly Dipdops.

_His legs burned from exertion and his body was about to give into its exhaustion. He couldn't stop. If he stopped he died. If he kept going he died. He was dead either way but dying on his own terms was much more appealing than getting caught. Getting caught meant HE would do... things to him._

_His legs eventually gave out under him._ I'm not far enough.  _His body refused to respond to his commands as he heaved in air. The adrenaline that had pushed him this far had run out and now he was stuck here._ He's gonna find me.  _He tried to drag himself forward, dirt rubbing into the many scratches that was coated his arms._ I don't want to die.

 _"Pine Tree, Pine Tree, Pine Tree." Tears cut through the dirt on his cheeks. "Did you really think you could get away that easily?" The demon picked him up by the thin worn ou_ _t shirt he wore. Bill traced his claws down the trails his tears made. "I'd commend you for the effort but it's really starting to get annoying. I'm going to have to punish you for this." His claw sank down into the flesh above his eye. Dipper didn't make a sound. Bill cooed as he dragged his claw across his face, etching a triangle over Dipper's left eye. "There, you look much better this way, Pine Tree. Lets get you cleaned up."_

_As the demon cradled the boy went completely limp and begin to sob openly. What a lovely sound._

 

          Watching over the hubbub from his spot in the Shadows, Dipper absently rubbed at his wrists. The scars from his more rebellious years were still etched into his arms and most of his upper body. He flinched at the screams of the younger children who were running from a very playful Grunkle Stan.  _They almost died._ Chills ran down his spine.  _I was going to kill them._ The traitorous voice in the back of his head hissed at him, _Murderer, monster, you're no worse than HIM!_ Dipper took another step away from the group, his back met the brick wall of the ruined gas station.

          "Hey Spook!" Stan stormed up to him, scowl twisting his features. He looked the same as he did eight years ago except he didn't need a girdle to look slim anymore. He had a few more wrinkles but it was expected from his constant frowning. Dipper vaguely noted that he was taller than him now. Or maybe it was just Stan's slouch. "Don't just stand around, Help Soos clear out the store."

          Dipper tensed, trying not to let himself loose control and attack the conman. He did not do well with loud noises. "I do not think..."

          Stan shoved him. "No way out of it." He paused and gripped his shoulder. "Uh, listen kid, come talk with me once you're done."

          "As you wish." Dipper slunk over to Soos, his anxiety grew with each step. He knew for certain that his old friend wouldn't take kindly to seeing him again after the events of the previous night. Soos stumbled over his feet and Dipper reached out, catching a few cans that tumbled out of the larger man's grasp.

          "Hey, thanks du-." Soos halted his sentence and watched Dipper for a bit. "Uh- hey."

          Dipper felt his stomach plummet. "Hello." He held out the cans. "What assistance do you require?"

          Soos blinked slowly. "Uh- there are a few boxes of Ho-Hos in the back, could you grab those for me?"

          Dipper lowered his head respectfully. "As you wish." He breezed into the station, side-stepping fallen shelved and rotted products. When he retrieved the boxes of the desired treat he maneuvered his way out. This time with the added challenge of several cumbersome boxes. it wasn't hard in the slightest, more plebeian than he was used to but it felt nice to do something simple.

          Soos was putting the cans into a large compartment on the side of the bus. He rubbed his hands together and grinned as Dipper approached. "Score! Hey, Little Dudes! Check these out, it's better than Mabel's Special pancakes."

         "Blasphemy!" Mabel shouted from across the lot. Wendy was filling the tank of the Stan mobile(Dipper still had no idea how that was still moving) and watched Soos with a wry grin across her face. (She was still beautiful) "And you'd better save me a box of those!"

         Within moments a group of children had surrounded Dipper in hopes of getting some of the treats. Panic rose in his chest as he shoved the boxes into Soos' arms and stormed off to find Stan. It'd be better for everyone if he stayed away. He found the older man leaning against a telephone pole nearby.

          Stan didn't say anything for a while despite clearly wanting to. Dipper didn't say a thing. "How much does Bill trust you, Kid?"

         "Not much," He pulls up his scarf up just high enough to reveal the magical collar that was tattooed into his skin. "I have had this five years now."

         "What'd you do to earn those?" Stan's eyes widened almost imperceptibly. "If you don't mind me askin'."

         He lowered the scarf. "Bill and I had a conflicting opinion. I am grateful for his mercy." 

         Stan grunted, obviously not pleased with that response. "Have you ever met a kid named, Dipper?" His blood went cold. "He'd be about your age, Bill took him from us when he was pretty young. I have no idea what he might look like now, or if he's still alive... but it'd mean a lot if you had any information."

         Dipper looked him in the eye, taking a deep breath to calm himself. "No. I have never heard of 'Dipper'."

         They stood like that for a bit before Stan cracked a small grin. "Worth a shot, huh?"

* * *

         Wendy's ax sunk into the wooden pole, striking just above Mabel's knives. "Aw, tartar sauce." Wendy giggled at Mabel's brand of cursing, which really hadn't changed much in eight years. "This would be much better if we had a bulls-eye like at the Shack."

        "Those were the days." Wendy breathed. 

        Mabel grinned at her adopted sister. "Remember when you showed Dipper and me your secret place on the attic? That was a good day."

        Wendy eyed the younger woman. "You seem to be in a good mood."

        The Brunette grinned, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "I know something you don't~!" Mabel wrapped an arm around Wendy's shoulder. "Romance is in the air, Wendy. I can feel it in my bones."

        "Oh lord, this isn't going to end up like Dante is it?" Wendy set her head in her hands, this was going to be a long week.

        "No, Why does everyone keep bringing that up!?!" She flailed her arms. "Blargh! I've learned from my mistakes. Besides, it's not for me, it's for you!"

        "Oh no."

        "Oh yes."

        "Mabel...," She warned.

        "Wendy, it's time for you to find someone of your own. Our near brush with death got me thinkin. I  thought to myself, 'Mabel, you know who's gonna die alone? Wendy.' So I resolved to find someone for you to share your life with!" She grinned innocently. That grin, of course, was a lie.

        Wendy frowned at the prospect of being a pawn in one of Mabel's Matchmaking quests. They almost always ended horribly, Soos and Melody being the outliers. "Alright, you have five chances. Beyond that I refuse to acknowldge any other attempts. Understand?"

        Mabel grinned, reaching out a fist. "Deal!"

        The redhead returned the bump, shaking her head at Mabel's obsession. _Who could she possibly have in mind?_

        "Wendy! Mabel! Quit loligaging and get on the Godforsaken bus! We need to reach Mcgucket's before Thursday." Stan honked his horn. 

        The older woman barely registered the light breeze of the assassin. He paused next to Mabel. "Shotgun," he said before tearing off towards the Stanleymobile.

        Mabel's eyes bugged, "Hell no, my knitting is up there." She chased after the man in black. "Get back here, Tyrone!" Wendy couldn't help but crack a smile and the younger woman's mannerisms.


	5. Flashback; Mabel's POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Pines are on the run from Bill's nightmare forces, Mabel copes with loss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah they went back for the Pig, I'm not a monster. And this chapter's a bit heavy just a warning.

           The Stanmobile was silent aside from the scratching of a pen on paper and the rattle of the age old engine. Grunkle Stan seemed to be incredibly uncomfortable with that since his eyes kept flicking to the radio. "Hey... Uhh, kid, wanna play one of your little driving games?" Grunkle Stan forced a smile. "How about I Spy, you always love playing that with... uh nevermind."

          Grunkle Ford glanced up from his writing. "Stanley..." 

          "Okay, I spy with my little eye... something broken." Mabel's voice was monotonous. "Don't bother guessing, it's my heart."

          Ford cleared his throat in the backseat, "Nice."

          Grunkle Stan scowled and slammed the breaks, holding Mabel back from smacking her head against the dashboard. Unfortunately Grunkle Ford did not have that luxury and knocked his head against the leather seat. There was a slew of curses in languages that Mabel has never even heard of. "Language, poindexter. What kinda example are you setting for Mabel?" Mabel cracked a small half-hearted grin in response. "There we go, hey, how's about we go vandalize something? That always cheers me up."

         Mabel pulled her eyes away from the passing scenery. It hurt to look at Grunkle Stan's cautious and guarded colors, but they were also far more comfortable to look at that the empty green of the trees. "I guess. Can we burn an effigy of Bill?" She gave Stan her signature puppy dog eyes. That seemed to melt away the anxiety that surrounded him a bit. 

         "I have no idea what that is, but sure." Grunkle Stan squinted at a figure in the distance. "Is that... Old Man McGucket?" 

         That seemed to stir Grunkle Ford from his work. "Fiddleford?"

         "We should give him a ride. He looks lonely." Mabel perked up at the idea.

         Grunkle Ford leaned forward. Mabel noticed a few sparks of what felt like caution in the colors surrounding him."One a scale of 1-10 what is the likelihood that he's a shapeshifter and/or possessed by a 5th dimensional being?"

         Mabel's face twisted in concentration. "A two."

         "As long as he doesn't have that damn raccoon wife of his I like those odds." Grunkle Stan slowed to a stop and had Mabel roll down the window. "Hey kook, need a ride?" 

         Old Man McGucket let out a shrill scream, pulling a strange device out of his bag. The colors around him flared out protectively. "Destroy the Evil! Destroy the Evil!" The device fizzled out and he blinked in confusion. "Oh, Mabel! Stanford! Are y'all alright? Ah thought y'all were demons come to eat ma' soul."

         Mabel noticed the Stan's tense at the danger. She flashed McGucket a smile, which seemed to make the frazzled colors around him calm a bit. "Hi McGucket, remember anything new?"

         A despondent look filled his eyes and his colors faded, Mabel felt like his colors were a lot nicer now that he was getting his memories back. Before they were far too sharp and erratic. Now they felt more like how she imagined the scientist was thirty years ago. "Ah'm sorry Mabel, Like ah told your brother tha other day, alls ah can remember is something bout tha end o' tha world."

         "Well, maybe if someone hadn't encrypted his warnings, I would've realized that the end of the world wasn't worth saving his sorry ass!"

         "I told you it was dangerous!" Ford countered. 

         "Stop it!" Mabel screamed. She couldn't take their bouts of back and forth arguments. "You guys are being Poopyheads! If Dipper was here, do you think we'd be arguing over something as stupid as whose fault what was! NO! It's both your faults, if you too learned to talk to each other normally than maybe none of this would of happened. Now apologize and lets get back to finding Dipper and stopping Bill Cipher." She slumped back in her seat and glanced back at McGucket, who seemed to be attempting to process the information. "Do you want a ride?"

         "Y'all said ya were gonna stop Bill Cipher?" A trio of nods greeted this comment, two slightly more hesitant than the First. "Well pop the trunk, ah doubt mah stuff is gonna fit in the front."

* * *

 

          Two years later and it was finished. Their base of Operations, shielded from Bill Cipher by unicorn hair and moonstones. Built with a defense system that was the brain child of two of the most brilliant minds in Post-America. Everyone was celebrating. Mabel leaned over the wall and let her forehead brush against the familiar feel of her Grunkle Ford's magic. She thought about Dipper and where he could be. Was he mad at her about the Portal? Was he even still alive?

         "Hey, Kiddo." Grunkle Stan leaned over the edge of the wall. "Ya know, I should probably be surprised about how quickly they got everything up and running so quickly but then I remembered that they built a trans-dimensional portal in a year and it makes a little more sense."

         Mabel cracked a smile, "There's also the fact that had us working non-stop."

         A bark of laughter met that comment. "Ford's always been a hardass." Their smiles faded and they lapsed into silence. Mabel kept her third eye shut tight, not wanting to pry into his emotions. "Are you thinking about Dipper?"

         "Of course I am." She tapped her fingers against the wall. "Are you?"

         Stan chuckled.  "Yeah, I was wondering what he'd think about Wendy getting adopted by us." Mabel laughed.  Stan pulled out his knuckle dusters, one of the few things that remained a constant after the Rift opened. "Kid... how badly do you want to destroy Bill?"

         She met his eyes. "If my death meant that he would never harm another person again I'd turn the gun on myself."

         Grunkle Stan nudged her. "None of that, I won't trade one niece to get back a nephew that probably still hates me. Nah, I was thinking I could teach you how to fight. Really fight, not that crazy swinging you do whenever you're in a pickle." Mabel tackled him in a hug. "What? Is that a Yes?"

         Mabel looked up at him, eyes glistening with tears. "Yeah, it is." She sniffed as He returned the hug.

         Massive, calloused hands ruffled her hair. "Hey, you coming back to the party?"

         "'Course I am. Someone's gotta educate you in the ways of karaoke. your voice is atrocious."

         "Oh it is on, kid." he shot back, playfully.

* * *

 

         The white and blue trucker cap sat on the center of the table, looking sad and worn. The pine tree in the center was faded but still noticeable, along with the dried droplets of blood splattered across it. Mabel felt a hand grip her shoulder. "Mabel, it might not be his."

         She couldn't stop the tears from streaking down her cheeks. "But it could be. He could be dead, it's been four years Wendy."

         "Hey, Ford and Mr. Pines are questioning the demon now, he might have just found it." Soos was interrupted by a loud gunshot. Everyone turned to see Grunkle Stan burst out of the Interrogation room and storm through the halls towards the training building. Ford emerged a bit later with blood on his sweater. "What happened, dude?"

         "He was... a Shapechanger. He was mocking us and..."

         He didn't get a chance to finish as Mabel shoved him aside and stormed the room. In the center there was a boy with chopped off hair and a birthmark of the Big Dipper on his forehead. He was strapped to the interrogation chair and his eyes were glossed over. Mabel screamed at the sight of the scars that criss-crossed his bare chest, they looked like they were done by various demons of every type. "Dipper."

         Wendy pulled her out of the room. "Dude it's not Him. Now we know Dipper's still alive."

         "What did they do to him? What cost is his Freedom? Why didn't I push that button?" She sobbed into Wendy's shoulder. Wendy's aura was bright and angry but focused. The older girl led her out of the room. Mabel could hear the murmurs from the two men.

         "Dude..." Soos breathed at the sight. "Not cool."

         Ford scratched his chin. "He... he looks a lot like Stan."

         Mabel's sobs seemed to call to her loyal pet, Waddles. The Pig oinked and nudged her with his snout, in an attempt to help her feel better. She wrapped her arms around the Hog and cried until she couldn't cry anymore.  _I'm going to end him, Bill Cipher is going to rue the day that he decided to mess with Mabel Pines._ She balled up a fist against her sweater.  _Don't mess with Pines._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy potatoes! I was not expecting this to get so popular! *sips Hot Chocolate at the Ominous Foreshadowing* So how's everyone liking this so far?


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Home Sweet Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long. My cousin was visiting and I can't write action scenes. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

_Stan pounded his fists into the heavy sandbag that made up their makeshift punching bag. He may be old but he need to stay alive to get back his nephew. That thought through off his concentration and his fist flew wide. That damn Shapeshifter had left him a hot mess. It had said things... he couldn't think about the things that demon had implied. Dipper was tough, he'd survive._

_The boxer couldn't stop the angry tears that joined the sweat dripping off his body._ Survive of not, it's still my fault. _He paused his work out to gather his emotions._ If I could I'd take it all back, none of this was worth it. Getting Ford back wasn't worth Dipper's life.  _Stan slapped himself, getting rid of the thought._ No, It isn't Ford's fault. I'm glad he's here. it's His fault.  _Stan growled as thoughts of the dream demon spurred his fists back into action, he imagined the Demon himself getting a knuckle sandwich, courtesy of Stanley Pines himself._

           I'll get you back kid, if it's the last thing I do.

 

 

           Mabel angrily knitted a new sweater in the back, still sore over losing her seat. Tyrone wasn't the best conversational partner but he seemed to be very interested in working the radio, fiddling with the nobs to settle on a girly pop song. Stan almost laughed when the kid started bobbing his head to the music. "You like BABBA?"

           Tyrone tensed beside him. "A little."

           "Relax Spook, I'm not about to judge." He smiled at the old song as memories of a better time surfaced. "You just don't meet to people who still like that kinda stuff anymore."

           Mabel looked up from her knitting and grinned. "Hey Grunkle Stan, Bet you can't hit that stop sign with out crashing." _  
_

           "Bet you I can." Stan shot back, feeling a bit cocky.

           "Please do not, I would like to live." Tyrone gripped the armrests like they were a lifeline.

           "Boo! Killjoy." Mabel grabbed her bat and leaned out of the window. "Bring us in close Stan. I'mma wreck that hexagon."

           Stan grinned as he pressed his foot down on the gas. Mabel hollered as they approached the faded red sign, waving her glittery pink bat. A loud crunch filled the air as the bat collided with the sign. The thin sign bent under the combined force of Mabel's swing and the Speeding vehicle. Stan high-fived his grandniece. Tyrone seemed to relax at the pairs jubilation. 

           Mabel whipped out her notebook and put another tally under her name. "Dipper's gonna have so much catching up to do. You do too, Stan, you're falling behind."

           "Hah, say what you want kid, but I'll always be the World Champion."

           Mabel scoffed, "Alpha Pines, Alpha Pines, Alpha Pines..." She punched the roof in time with her chant.

           "Look out!" Tyrone jerked the wheel out of Stanley's hands, making the car swerve. Mabel screamed as the vehicle swerved out of control. Her bat slipped from her grasp and smashed against the front windshield, shattering it. Stan shoved Tyrone off the wheel, trying to correct the Stanmobile. It didn't help them that something decided to slam against the side of Stanmobile.

           Stan swore, "Son of a- Spook! Take the wheel!" Stan released his grip on he wheel and reached into the back seat for the walkie talkie. The creature slammed against the Stanmobile again, causing Stan to tumble into the backseat with Mabel. This time Stan managed to get a look at it. It had a long, thick neck and it's body was adorned with black fur and  bat wings. A screech shattered what was left of the windows and it reached in to snap its jaws at Tyrone. "What is that some sort of demon ostrich?"

           A second one reached it's head in through the opposite side, snapping its jaws at Mabel. She took a page out of Stan's book, pegging it right in the eyes. "LEFT HOOK!!" the creature tumbled against the road, out cold. That didn't stop another from diving in to replace it. Mabel screamed and grabbed it by the neck. "Die, you mutant bird, DIE!!"

           Stan lifted the walkie talkie to his mouth. "Soos! You guys are gonna need to take another route! We're under attack and these things aren't letting up." Another crunching sound signaled the arrival of a fourth. "And they keep denting my car!"

           The device crackled and Soos's voice rang out. "You're the boss, Mr. Pines."

           "Atta' boy Soos!" Stan sighed in relief knowing the rest of his family would take a safer route.

           Tyrone screamed as the creature's jaws closed around his arm. " _Fulgur!"_  Electricity arched out of his hand and struck the creatures eyes. It released its grip and fell back, knocking down the one behind it. Mabel shoved a handful of shattered glass into the creature she'd been strangling's eyes before kicking the door open into its body. "Is everyone alive?"

           "Yeah, aw crap that looks bad." Mabel reached up to check Tyrone's shoulder. He flinched away and tightened his grip on the wheel. "I need to treat it."

           "I am fine," He hissed.

           "No you aren't, give Stan the wheel." Tyrone shook his head. Stan crawled into the passenger seat. "That wasn't a request."

           Stan heard Tyrone's breath catch in his throat and noticed his body's muscles coil under his sweater. He didn't need magic to tell that tone had scared the kid. "Okay." Stan grabbed the wheel as the kid maneuvered himself into the backseat.

           Mabel looked like she had blocked her third eye since she was completely oblivious to Tyrone's discomfort. "Do you have a knife? I need to cut away the sleeve." Tyrone cringed as he pulled one out of his boot. Mabel snatched it out of his hand and cut away the bloodied sleeve of his sweater. "This is pretty deep. And it looks like it left a few teeth behind. Hold still, I need to pull them out or it'll get infected."

           Stan relaxed when he saw Mabel announce her intentions and clean the kids wounds. Tyrone began to relax at her assurances, only flinching when she pulled out a tooth or started to stitch the wound closed.

* * *

 

           Stan grinned as they pulled up to the gates of their base. He honked his horn to announce the presence. The speakers rung to life. "Well, howdy there Stanley, 'fraid i gotta ask ya some questions."

           "Hey Fidds, Yeah I know. Be quick, with it. I'm exhausted."

           "Question 1: When's the last time y'all took a shower?"

           Mabel launched herself into the front seat. "If you fixed the water heater I will give you my blood to open these doors!"

           A wry chuckle crackled out of the ancient speaker. "Well I guess I don't need to ask the other questions than? Blood isn't really necessary, Mabel sweetie." The gate slid open and Stan felt the familiar tingle of the protection spell as they entered.

           Mabel tore out of the Stanmobile the moment Stan put the car in park. She hugged Fidds. "OhmigoshthankyousomuchTellWendyeverywomanforherself-i'mgonnatakeashowernow, BYYYEEEE!" Mabel ran off to the bathhouse, whooping in victory.

           Fiddleford took a moment to process that, scratching his head. "All right, have fun." He smiled at Stan. "Who's your new friend?"

           The Con-man sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. Tyrone still hung around near the car. "We had a run-in with Cipher, that's why we took so long getting back. We had to make a deal and part of it was this kid sticks with us 'til we give Cipher what he wants."

           The Engineer's eye's widened in surprise. "What? Ford made a deal?"

           "Don't blame him, Bill was gonna kill Soos." Stan hissed.

           "Oh well, that makes everything much better!" Fidds shouted. Tyrone flinched. "Yer just gonna let one a' Cipher's goons waltz in her' an' probly gut us in our sleep! He ain't kin, we can't trust him!"

           Stan grabbed McGucket by the shoulders. "He knows where Dipper is." Stan hissed, low enough that only McGucket would hear. "Do you really want to throw that possibility away? The possibility that we could have Dipper back?"

           Fiddleford's eyes began to fill with tears. "Ah... Do you think he'll be willin' ta tell us?" Tyrone was watching the pair uneasily, noting the dramatic shift in the tone of their conversation.

           Stan hesitated. On one hand, there was the possibility that time away from Cipher would loosen the Demon's hold on the Kid. On the other, the Kid could've been telling the truth when he said he didn't know. The second wasn't very likely since Stan could always tell when someone was lying. "I think we can convince him, but he's pretty messed up."

           The smaller man nodded. "Alright." He shot a glare at Tyrone, "But he's yer responsibility, iffen he makes a mess it'll be on you Stanley." Fiddleford stormed off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On a completely unrelated note, I started a tumblr blog, HonestreaderWrites where you can leave a request for me of you have one. I love the practice but I won't always have time.
> 
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/honestreaderwrites 
> 
> Self promotion aside, tell me what you think!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plans keep you alive in the apocalypse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look a plot!

_Dipper stared into the mirror, analyzing every scar and bruise. He noted where each one came from and who caused them, paying special attention to the ones Bill had left. Those were special. Sacred even._

_Pushing back his bangs, he eyed the untouched birthmark on his forehead. The one part of his body that bore no scars or marks of abuse. His fingers trailed down to the triangle scar over his left eye. He shuddered at the memories of his rebellious days. A tear slid down his cheek._

_He slapped himself for daring to dwell on those days, things were better. Life was better. He was better._

 

Dipper never expected to be in his family's home ever again. Yet here he was, and he wasn't even welcome. He shuddered at the feeling of unfamiliar magic in the air and rubbed his left eye. When he didn't feel Cipher's familiar tang of magic, he tensed.

"You alright, kid?" Stan placed a heavy hand on his shoulder.

On some level Dipper understood that it was meant to be a comforting gesture, but between Stan's personal magic buzzing next to his ear and the magic in the air, it was too much. His breaths were short and hard, he almost choked a few times between the gasps. Stan seemed to realize what was going on. Good, because Dipper sure didn't. it felt like the air was pressing down on him. Like the magic in the air was trying to squash him. It knew he didn't belong. It knew he wasn't wanted. His heart pounded in his chest, not helping to calm him.

Stan's eyes widened. "Kid relax, I got ya. Here, lets get you someplace quiet." He guided Dipper away from a crowd of onlookers and shooed them away. Dipper leaned on Stan when his head started swimming. They managed to reach the residences and find an unoccupied room, where Stan encouraged him to sit. "What do ya need kid? Better not be a demon, cause those ain't really helpful."

"I- I..."

"Focus, it's just you and me. You're safe here, no one's gonna hurt you." Stan cracked a grin. "They'll have to get through me first."

Dipper looked into Stan's brown eyes.  _Liarliarliarliar. Where were you? WHERE?!?_ Dipper flinched at the aggression of his own thoughts.  _Look at you, brought down by an unfamiliar magic user. Weakling. Bill should have killed you years ago._ "I am fine, Stanley." He gasped out.

"Don't lie to me kid, I've got more experience with panic attacks then you'll, hopefully, ever have. Ford gets 'em all the time. Just relax, no one is going to hurt you. Focus on your breathing. It helps."

The two sat in silence for a bit, Dipper's breathing slowly getting back to normal. "I am Sorry."

Stan's eyes widened. "For what?"

Dipper hesitated, worried about what his response would be. "For burdening you."

The older man scoffed. "What, you think I'm some sort big shot that can't take a few minutes outa his day to help a friend?"

"Uhhh..."  _Stop it. Stop pretending you care._

Stan placed a hand on his good shoulder. "Listen kid, just cause you're messed up doesn't make you a burden. I'm gonna go get Melody to take a look at your shoulder, she a nice kid. Stay here and relax." 

Dipper nods in understanding, still trying to fight off the invasive thoughts.

* * *

 

 

Ford drums his fingers against the maps. The war room was almost empty with the exception  The three pieces- that had to be pieces, there was no other way it would show up like that- were too far to traveland collect all of them in the span of three weeks. The demon was never really going to let them go. 

Wendy tossed her ax in the air, catching it by its hilt as it fell. "We should kill, Tyrone."

The scientist was caught off guard by casualness of her tone. "What? No!"

"Well, it's not like we need Bill's lackey following us around. He could kill us in our sleep. Is that a risk you want to take?" Wendy examined the edge of her ax, pulling out a whetstone to sharpen it. "Besides, you don't get this uptight about killing demons."

"We aren't killing a human being."

"We don't even know if he's really human." Wendy hissed.

Ford slammed a fist down on the table. "We are not going to take that risk." the two glared at each other, tension filling the atmosphere.

Mabel burst in suddenly. "We aren't killing anyone and I used up all the lavender shampoo." She plopped down in a salvaged, worn out Leather seat, wringing out of hair. "I like Tyrone, he's screwed up. Like us."

"That just makes him more dangerous." Wendy countered.

The brunette smiled coyly, flicking her hair over her shoulder. "Oh please, without the element of surprise he can't beat all five of us. Grunkle Ford, could you pinpoint the Rift or do you need my help?" She shifted the conversation.

Wendy scowled but turned her attention back to sharpening her ax. Ford cleared his throat. "I need a bit more information, could you use your Sight to look for the perpetrator."

Mabel beamed. "Sure. It'll just take a sec." She scrunched up her face in concentration. Magic pulsed around her as the innate spell took hold and transferred her mind through time and space. Ford would never cease to be amazed at the way the spell worked, pressing Mabel for details whenever he could, trying to form his own version of the spell. No matter how hard he tried he never managed to get the wording right. Mabel's hushed muttering became ragged as a pink glow filled her eyes. "Ṕa͢͟͠le҉͢ ͘͡h͟ai͟r̸...̨ ̨̀b͢l͜u͝͡҉e̷.͏̶ ̡̛͢n̴o͘͟.̵͠ ͝Pen̷̨t͞a̶g͟ŗ̛ą́m̸̵.̧ ̛̕Get̛ a͟͝w҉̡͟á̴͞y̷. ͏ma҉ǵ͢íc̸̡̀, ͞͏̸f̨͞͏e̛el̨ş̕ ̵͘͜w͘r̴̛͟o̧̡ng̡͞.̡ ͡͏S̸t̶͞͏ày ͜a̢w͝ay.̧͘͠ S͜TO͞P!̴" Mabel's eyes snapped open, pink vanishing and being replaced by panic.

Ford placed a hand on her shoulder. "What happened?" He held out a napkin for her to wipe away the blood dripping out of her nose. "Are you okay?"

"I- It was Gideon. Gideon Gleeful."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had to talk a friend out of a panic attack once or twice, so I drew on that experience with a few suggestions from webMD to write Dipper's panic attack. Cause I'm a sucker for Stan and Dipper bonding.  
> How about that episode, huh?


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Friend or Foe?

_Manly Dan roared at the demons that were tearing their way into the cabin_.  _There were too many for the lumberjack to fight off at once, and the redhead knew it. Wendy screamed as a massive beast pinned her father beneath its talons. She almost didn't stop her brothers from running off to their deaths._

_"Dad!"_

_The man swung around, struggling to keep the beast's jaws from taking off his head. "Wendy! Take your brothers and go! I won't let them hurt you."_

_"But..." Wendy couldn't lose him. Sure they fought but he was her Dad. Her brother's wouldn't forgive her if she pulled them away now._

_The creature's teeth pierced her fathers arm, ripping a howl of agony and rage from his throat. "Go!" Manly Dan managed to grab a hold of his ax and lodge it between the beasts eyes. Thick black ichor dribbled from the wound. The creature screamed and backed away for a moment before returning in full force._

__Wendy grabbed her youngest brother and pushed back the others as an eye bat swooped down and tried to turn the group to stone. The Corduroy girl began barking orders, calling on her apocalypse training to get them geared up to run to the tree line. As the siblings made their escape, Wendy snuck a glance back at her father._ This time he didn't have enough strength to stop the demon from tearing the flesh from his neck. _

__

 

 There was too much quiet for Wendy's taste. Mabel had started chewing her lip, pondering the implications of having to approach the ex-psychic. Ford was fuming at the prospect of letting the folksy fake anywhere near Mabel. The name of their old adversary bringing up a series of very unpleasant memories. She'd only met the little turd-monger once before but when she had, he'd been working for Bill. Or more specifically, working  _with_ Bill. She brought her ax down on the table, shocking the two out of their musing. 

           "What the hell is that little fucker doing with the rift?" The snarl that rumbled out of her throat was borderline animalistic. 

           Ford rubbed his chin, "It has to be a ploy to get Bill to eliminate us."

           "Okay you guys really need to stop jumping to conclusions," Mabel unfolded her legs and stood. She didn't normally recover from using that spell so quickly. "There's no reason to assume that He's working with Bill. He could be trying to study it." 

           The red head scowled. "Leaving us to defend against him all alone. How can you defend him with all the things he's done?"

           Brown eyes flashed with powerful magic. "What about the things  _we've_ done, Wendy? We can't just start judging what others do to survive after Portland!" Her voice began rising in volume, her sentence ending in a near scream.

           "WE DON'T TALK ABOUT PORTLAND!," Wendy roared. Ford stepped between the two before either one could send the situation spiraling even further out of control. The older Pines man struggled to push back the two young woman as the tension in the room increased. "He's the reason we had to do half the things we did there. That blood is on his hands, Mabel."

            "That's enough!" The two girls jumped as Ford shed his normally calm exterior for irritation. The older Pines pinched the bridge of his nose and breathed deeply. "You can settle this later. Mabel, tell me exactly what you saw."

           Mabel cleared her throat. "Alright then... It was dark, kinda a jumble. I remember, Fire and shouting. Tyrone was there, I think, he was fighting Gideon. There was a ritual circle on the ground and... blood. One of them is bleeding, I can't tell it wasn't clear enough. The Circle is glowing, Bill's there. It was really loud, I couldn't focus. But he said, Bill said, 'Your family will suffer the price for your betrayal. Let's see Shooting Star take you back now.'" 

* * *

 

            Dipper scowled. The room he'd unofficially been given was too big for his liking, there was too much room for just him. He wasn't going to use all this, he wasn't worth...  _No, that's not true. I defeated the Multibear, I'm chief of the Manotaurs. I am not weak. I will not show weakness. I am worthy._ He clutched his head pulling off his mask so he could breath better. A piece of him wished he was with Bill, the demon always chased away the dark thoughts and the guilt. The rest of him was glad to be free of Bill's... affections.

             The door creaked open. Too shocked to move, he forgot to replace the mask. Old Man McGucket stood the in the doorway holding a box decorated with magic swirls and English writing that he barely recognized. Their eyes met for a moment before Dipper gained some sense and covered his face again.

            McGucket's eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. "Who... What happened?" 

            Dipper looked away. He was glad that McGucket didn't immediately recognize him, but he didn't want the mans pity. "I am a soldier, soldiers get scars."

            "It's one thing to get a few cuts and bruises in the heat of battle but typically selling your soul means you can ask a demon for help with that sorta thing." The older man didn't let up. "Most of the soldiers I've met flaunt the scars they've won. They're trophies. You're ashamed of them."

            Dipper tried to ignore the naked feeling that was creeping up on him. The old man had never been this observant eight years ago. "Only My Master may see them, they are his, along with the rest of me." _  
_

            McGucket's eyes flicked over him briefly. Then he shrugged and set down the box on the table. No more words were shared between them for a while as McGucket set out pencils, paper and... graphs. Dipper felt his old curiosity bubble up. He managed to catch an glimpse of the golden words on the box.  _Dungeons, Dungeons and More Dungeons._  The assassin barely managed to bite back a squeal of excitement, instead he spoke very calmly. "Dungeons, Dungeons and more Dungeons?"

            "Pen and Paper, Shield and Sword..."

            "Our Quest Shall be our sweet Reward." Dipper managed to keep it at a whisper. Not that it mattered.  _This is childish, I'm a grown man I will not give in to such ridiculous... is that the limited 1986-1987 Edition? With the Map to Calcudor?_

            The old man grinned at him. "You look a bit young to have been inta' this sorta thing."

            "My father used to play it with me." Dipper's heart clenched. "It was my favorite game. I memorized all the rules." He tried to stay casual, he really did.

            "Well, I see no reason why you couldn't join me." The old man jumped back in surprise as the younger male tumbled off the bed face first. "Try not to hurt yourself. too much." He added, seeing the boy rubbing his shoulder. 

            "Heh, Sorry." Dipper felt his cheeks warm. It felt nice to be alone with someone and do normal things. He'd almost forgotten what it was like to talk to a Human without it being an interrogation. Even Mabel had fallen prey to the paranoid pestering the end of the world brought.

            The two began their game, and Dipper lost himself in his imagination.

            

            

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M ALIVE!!! Sorry, Work's a bitch and School has been crazy. Stupid Teenage drama everywhere that keeps bragging me into it. I have not abandoned this, but it may take me a bit to get back around to it. I sorta got sucked into another Fandom and lots of Fanfiction.


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